Just because Eastern Bloc period pieces are almost always stately and elegiac doesn't mean a largely compelling movie like this shouldn't still manage to surprise us once or twice over the course of four hours.
Overview
Burning Bush is a three-part mini-series created for HBO by world-renowned Polish director Agnieszka Holland. Based on real characters and events, this haunting drama focuses on the personal sacrifice of a Prague history student, Jan Palach, who set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1969. Dagmar Buresová, a young female lawyer, became part of his legacy by defending Jan's family in a trial against the communist government, a regime which tried to dishonour Palach's sacrifice, a heroic action for the freedom of Czechoslovakia.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Enthralling ...
Elegantly scripted with an edge of biting gallows humor by Stepan Hulik, Burning Bush blends an intimate domestic drama with a thrilling Cold War procedural ...
An absorbing docudrama that maintains a gratifying equilibrium between hope and cynicism.
"Burning Bush" really isn't intended for American viewers, and you may need to do a little homework or scramble to keep up. Generally speaking, it's highly worth it.
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